Here’s the news that should clear your calendar: the New York Laughs Festival has landed, and it’s turning the first week of June into one of the densest stretches of stand-up the city sees all year. From flagship free shows to late-night showcases to a full takeover of multiple venues, June 4–7, 2026 is stacked. If you’ve been meaning to get back into the comedy habit, this is your week. Here’s where to point yourself.
Don’t Miss: A Free Flagship Kickoff (Thursday, June 4)
You truly cannot beat the price on this one. The Stand (116 E 16th St) opens the festival with “Comedy in the Square,” a free flagship kickoff show at 6:00 PM in its main room — and the lineup is absurd for a no-cover gig: Mark Normand, Emma Willmann, Usama Siddiquee, Matthew Broussard, Chris Turner, Cipha Sounds, Caitlin Peluffo, and Matt Richards. A free show with names that usually carry a cover charge tends to fill up fast, so get there early and grab a table. This is the easiest yes of the week.
Thursday Night Rolls Deep
Once the free show wraps, The Stand keeps the festival energy going all night. At 7:00 PM, Tim Dillon & Friends headlines at The Stand West ($35) — one of the buzziest names in the lineup. The same night offers a rotating slate of showcases: “Culture Wars” hosted by Marito Lopez at 8:00 PM ($25), “Awesome Aussies in the Big Apple” at 9:00 PM with Aaron Chen and Amos Gill ($25), and a late 10:00 PM room featuring Aaron Berg, Katherine Blanford, Natalie Cuomo, and Jon Rudnitsky ($25). You could honestly post up at one venue and see four completely different shows in a night.
Friday Is the Marquee Night (June 5)
Friday is where the festival flexes hardest. The headline event: “NY Laughs Fest Live from Irving Plaza” at 9:00 PM, a stacked theater show with Tim Dillon, Jeff Arcuri, Rachel Feinstein, Mike Falzone, Josh Adam Meyers, and Nataly Aukar ($41). If you want a club-sized room instead, The Stand’s 8:00 PM SiriusXM Live Taping ($35) gathers Pete Lee, Dan St. Germain, Monroe Martin, Subhah Agarwal, Derek Gaines, and more for a set that doubles as a radio recording. And for the connoisseurs, a late 11:00 PM “Bumping Mics with Jeff Ross and Dave Attell” at The Stand West ($35) is exactly the kind of roast-room chaos those two are famous for.
Weekend Showcases and Brunch Laughs (June 6–7)
The festival doesn’t let up over the weekend. Saturday, June 6 brings a “Brunch of Jokes” with Leonard Ouzts at 1:00 PM ($20) — a low-stakes daytime option if late nights aren’t your thing — followed by the long-running Laughing Buddha Comedy showcase at 5:00 PM ($30) with a deep bench of working New York comics. There’s also “An Evening with Steve Rannazzisi” running at St. Mark’s Comedy Club ($35). Across the weekend you’ll find festival shows spilling into rooms like St. Mark’s and beyond, so it’s worth scanning the full schedule for whatever fits your night.
The Move for First-Timers
If you’re new to the NYC comedy grind, here’s how to play it. Start with the free flagship show Thursday to get a feel for the room without spending a dime. If you click with a comic you see there, follow them to a later showcase — festival lineups overlap, so your new favorite is probably performing again within 48 hours. Showcases in the $20–$30 range are the smart value: you get six to eight comics in an hour instead of betting your whole night on one headliner. And always check the venue listing for the exact room — festival shows this week are spread across The Stand, The Stand West, St. Mark’s, and Irving Plaza, so double-check the address before you head out.
It’s a rare week when the city’s comedy scene throws this much at you at once. Pick a night, grab a two-drink minimum, and go laugh. You’ll thank yourself.
